Ebola Care App Raises Hope in West Africa

Ebola Care App

The Ebola Care App, available free from Journey, a mobile applications developer, enables health workers to monitor and collect patient data in West South Africa. AppsAgainstEbola, Journey’s website, describes its genesis, capabilities and benefits.

Running on inexpensive Android phones, the Ebola Care App will improve the timeliness, accuracy and accessibility of field data for health care decision-makers and NGO’s

Ebola is Not Just an African Problem

Those are the words of Philip Joubert who is my podcast guest. As we discussed the global community of governments, NGO’s, private benefactors, such as Bill Gates, and company donations, the connectedness of humanity came to mind.

Philip Joubert of Journey

In the past–before social media, mobile phones and greater interest in the biggest continent–the first Ebola crisis in 1976, documented by the WHO, was indeed “just an African problem.” But the massive outbreak of the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic has spread from Africa to the U.S. and other developed nations.

It’s changed how we think about national borders. Viruses cross freely from Liberia into Sierra Leone. They fly thousands of miles with their hosts. In that sense, the Ebola virus is “airborne,” whether flying coach or first-class. Outbreaks of this type are world problems.

How we, government and corporate leaders and the health care community respond to these health crises worldwide will forever determine future responses. Do we dump money on world problems that don’t affect us personally from afar? Or should we believe, as Gandi said:

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.”

Ebola Care App Brings Technology to Africa

Philip and Malan Joubert, who grew up in South Africa, felt their calling. Using mobile development software created by their firm, they believed a Ebola Care app, used on the ground in Liberia and other Ebola-infected countries, would expedite communications among health workers, the medical community and large organizations like the WHO.

Listen to the podcast about two brothers making a difference in West Africa.